23/06/2026
After 12 years as British Airways cabin crew, Ted Adams Trust Scholar Gabriella Sweeney knew she wanted to give back in a different way. A role in supported living just before the pandemic - working with neurodivergent young adults, some non‑verbal and managing complex mental health needs -became a turning point. “It was the most difficult thing I’ve ever
done,” she says, “but it taught me that I thrive in crisis. I want to help people through their hardest moments.”
Gabriella’s decision to retrain as a Mental Health Nurse is also rooted in profound personal loss: in 2014, she experienced the death of her baby daughter, Isabella Eden. Channelling her grief into action, she completed an access course, visited Surrey on an Open Day - where the
outstanding facilities and professionalism of students in uniform convinced her it was the right place - and is now approaching the start of the final year of her Mental Health Nursing BSc.
The Ted Adams Trust Nursing Scholarship, providing £4,000 a year for up to three years, has been pivotal in making this transition possible. As a mature student leaving full‑time work, the scholarship eases the financial pressure of maintaining her car for long commutes to placement - a vital “piece of the puzzle” in building her new life.
Alongside her studies, Gabriella volunteers for a student support service and hosts The Baby Loss Podcast, creating a safe space for others affected by loss and helping to break the stigma around grief. Her ambition is to specialise in bereavement care within the NHS, offering the same
compassion she once received to families facing unimaginable pain.
Read Gabriella’s story and discover how scholarships and education are helping students at Surrey transform lived experience into compassionate, professional care: https://www.surrey.ac.uk/news/ba-bsc-gabriellas-journey-mental-health-nursing
